Page 25 of Three Reasons

“Let’s go, runt.” I really hate when he calls me that damn name.

“Get out.” I have to walk away, or I just might hurt him. I may be the youngest and smallest in the family, but I know how to toss a hit when I need to.

“Grace, you don’t get a choice this time. You’re coming home.” He sounds exasperated… Is he shitting me?

“Look, David, I don’t care what any of you need; I’m not coming home.”That’s fucking final.

“Margo told Dad about those men. You know he can ruin them.” I pause mid-step.Bloody hell.It’s not like I can just ignore that threat. When my dad wants something, he always gets it. Of course, he wouldn’t deliberately ruin me; that would look bad in the public eye. But someone I could even remotely care about? Yeah, he’d take them down with no thought to the consequences.

“Fuck.” What the hell else would I say?

“Seriously, Grace? Andrew won’t tolerate your foul language.”

“Andrew? Who the fuck is Andrew?”

David's backhand comes out of nowhere. Stunned, my hand goes to my cheek, trying to quell the burn, and I stare at my big brother. The man who has always been more like my father’s pet than a human. Cold, calculated, manipulative. I shouldn’t be nearly as shocked as I am.

“I said, watch your tongue.” Just then, a man the size of a fucking defensive back walks through my door, his gaze as cold as David’s. “Are you going to come, or does Roy here need to carry you?”

He acts like I have a choice. Stupid prick’s going to get his the first opportunity I get. Dutifully following along, I grit my teeth so I don’t spout off about his stupid smirk and chance another backhand.

The sight of the limo in front of my apartment building and the people gawking makes me wish a giant hole would just open and swallow me up. The privileged life has never been for me, and these stares are a huge reason why. I don’t like, nor do I want, the attention being flashy would get me. Just this once, I wish the man could have left the limo home. Been a typical robot.

Every fibre of my being screams at me to turn away, that Eli and Callan can handle whatever my father throws at them. Except there’s this tiny part of me that's terrified they can’t. That my father will ruin not only them but their families, as well.

Rock, meet fucking hard place.

David spends the entire ride home to St. Albert on the phone with what I can only presume is the law firm. He also works as an associate at H & M. Roy just sits there glaring at me like he thinks I’ll try and jump out of a moving vehicle on the highway while in the middle of a damn snowstorm. Because going a hundred and ten kilometres an hour won’t fuck me up or anything.Idiots.

Ignoring them both, I stare out the tinted window of the limo, thinking about what could have been with Eli and Callan and feeling that regret burning a hole in my heart.

Callan will be pissed, believing not only that I left them but then decided they weren't worth my time to inform them. Eli will likely hold out hope until his friend’s pessimistic attitude rubs off on him, eventually.

It’s incredible how quickly I’ve come to know them. The night in my shop was spent bickering back and forth. Our date, which turned into the hottest and sweetest booty call a girl could everhave, was purely sex. Except it wasn’tonlysex; it was so much more.

They loved me, my body, us. Together. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of, and now, I’m being forced to abandon it all because of my family's aspirations.

Funny how all the bad things in my life circle back to these vultures. I don’t care what my parents expect of me; for the first time, I’ll fight to get what I want. If they cut me off or out of their lives, so be it.

There is one thing Idoknow: Callan and Eli are worth every sacrifice I’ll ever endure.

Callan

“What do you mean she’s not there? It’s her goddamned shop!” I can’t hold my temper. It’s been twenty-four hours since Gray left, and I’m pissed. No, that's too tame a word. I’m fucking raging mad.

“Listen here, buster, I don’t know who you think you are, but if my girl–”

Hold the motherfucking phone…

“Your girl? YOUR GIRL!” I don’t know who the fuck this asshole thinks he is, but pissed at her or not, she is fucking mine and Eli’s.

“Ohhhh,” the man replies, followed by laughter. “You must be Callan.” His entire tone changes, figuring out my identity.

“What the hell is going on?” Eli asks, entering our office.

Ignoring my best friend, I try not to throttle this asshole through the phone line. “What do you know?”

“She’s in St. Albert.” I can almost feel the sarcastic smirk on his faceless face. “She’s had to covertly text me overnight. Those damn parents of hers need a swift kick in the ass if you ask me.”

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